Western Mail

Complementary Business ; Now We Are Bringing You Two Essential Daily Reads

IT'S more than business as usual from your Western Mail team today as we click into action with our new online service featuring exclusive content designed to complement your essential daily newspaper read. Our trusted business coverage in the Western Mail every day and our comprehensive bi-monthly Business in Wales Magazine (published today) are now complemented by a new and growing series of riches on the business channel of our Walesonline website. Today we unveil some great new online-onl...

Fruitapeel Buys Llantrisant Juice Plant in Move That Creates 25 Jobs

LLANTRISANT-BASED All Natural Juice Company has been bought from the administrator, in a move which should provide 25 jobs. The assets of the company have been bought by Fruitapeel, which previously bought the factory and assets of SunJuice when that business went into administration.

Right Legal Framework Is Vital If Companies Are to Grow Jobs

GETTING the country back to work is a key theme for politicians and business. Unemployment is a corrosive state which undermines not just the economy but the family and society more widely. Ensuring that our recovery is not a jobless one has to be high up our list of priorities.

Lloyds to Axe 70 Jobs in Newport

BANKING giant Lloyds has announced another 200 job losses, in a move that will affect 50 to 70 workers at its Tredegar Park centre in Newport. The part-nationalised group, which has now axed 26,200 jobs, said the cuts were part of its "ongoing integration programme".

Abertillery 'to Be Transformed' by Pounds 13m Investment in the Town Centre

A pounds 13M investment has been unveiled to breathe new life into the centre of Abertillery. The Welsh Assembly Government said the investment would provide a better environment for the community and local businesses, as well as attracting visitors and potential investors.

Why Networking Makes the World Go Around ... And How to Do It Well a-Z Guide to Some of the Best Networkers in Welsh Business.

TODAY we bring you a list of some of the best networkers in Wales which you can peruse at leisure on our new-look business channel at Walesonline.co.uk/business. More than 50 make our A-Z guide to people in the Welsh business community who are not only well connected, but use their networks effectively to make things happen.

Wh Smith Buys 22 Stores for Pounds 1m

WH SMITH bolstered its high street estate yesterday with the acquisition of 22 stores from the administrator of British Bookshops and Stationers. The retailer said the stores, based across the south of England, will trade under their current name for the time being. It paid just over pounds 1m for the outlets.

More Jobs - but Pay Rates Dip

PERMANENT and temporary jobs have increased at the fastest rate for several months, although employers are not recruiting in large numbers, according to a new study today. The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) said that despite the improved demand for staff, pay pressures were "subdued", with hourly rates falling slightly in January.

Vat Hike Offset by Stores' Discounts

CONSUMERS saw little change in shop prices in January following the 2.5% VAT increase, according to new figures. The impact of the increase was all but non-existent because of the high number of post-Christmas discounts and promotions, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said.

Unrest in Egypt and Tunisia 'to Cost Thomas Cook Pounds 20m' ; Quarterly Profits Predicted to Take a Hit

TOUR operator Thomas Cook warned that political unrest in travel hotspots Egypt and Tunisia would hit second-quarter profits by around pounds 20m. The group said that, while Government travel advice on Tunisia had improved, restrictions to Egypt were ongoing for all but the Red Sea resorts amid escalating anti-government protests. Thomas Cook said it was switching its travel programme to other holiday destinations to help offset the financial impact.

Princes Snaps Up Household Brands

HOUSEHOLD brands Crosse & Blackwell and Fray Bentos have been bought by food and drinks group Princes in a deal worth pounds 182m. Their acquisition forms part of an agreement with Premier Foods for its canned grocery operation, including factories at Long Sutton in Lincolnshire and Wisbech in Cambridgeshire which employ more than 1,000 people.

Supermarket Supplier Mcbride Hit by Higher Commodity Costs

A MAJOR supplier of household goods to supermarkets is braced for more price pressure after seeing profits hurt by higher commodity costs. McBride, which makes supermarket own-label products such as laundry liquids and toothpaste, announced a 26% decline in operating profits to pounds 18.8m in the final half of 2010, on sales down 1% to pounds 407.9m.

Banks 'Livid' As Chancellor Raises Bank Tax by Pounds 800m ; Union Rejects Increased Amount As 'a Pittance'

BRITAIN'S bank tax has been increased by an extra pounds 800m to raise pounds 2.5bn this year and will be made permanent to ensure banks make a "fair contribution", the Chancellor has announced. The unexpected move - unveiled by Mr Osborne on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme - was greeted with shock and anger by the banks, with some bank chiefs reported to be "livid".

Banks Set Up Pounds 100m Fund for Franchises

NATWEST and RBS have created a pounds 100m new fund to back new and growing franchise firms. The fund could finance up to 1,800 new franchise businesses and 24,000 new jobs across the UK (based on typical start-up costs and franchisees typically employing around 13 staff).

Crossrail has Shown You Have to Fight and I Can See Why Wales Is Lobbying Hard to Electrify the Main Line ; Sion Barry Talks to the Welshman Who Chairs London's Crossrail Project, Terry Morgan, and Discovers the Positive Impact It Will Have On the Uk Economy - and Why Wales Needs to Lobby Hard and Put a Compelling Business Case for Electrification to Swansea

WHEN Terry Morgan started out as an apprentice with Lucas Girling in South Wales in the 1960s, the thought of one day chairing one of the biggest transport infrastructure projects ever seen in the UK might have seemed the stuff of dreams. And after some concerns that London's pounds 16bn Crossrail scheme might have been shelved in a climate of fiscal deficit, the ambitious project is very much on track with the first contracts being awarded just before Christmas.

'Lunch and Learn' It Event

WREXHAM-based IT solutions company MWL Systems has joined forces with computer giant Dell for a special "lunch and learn" event at the Millennium Stadium on February 23. The event is designed for senior IT professionals and decision makers to hear about the latest technologies direct from the product experts themselves.

Sainsbury's Energy Venture to Create 85 Welsh Jobs

SAINSBURY'S is to create 85 jobs in Cardiff with a foray into the utilities sector. The supermarket chain has teamed up with British Gas to launch Sainsbury's Energy, which will see the jobs created at the British Gas call centre in Cardiff.

Business in Focus Embeds Equality

BUSINESS in Focus is the first company in Wales to have gone through the Committed to Equality (C2E) Standard audit process. The company offers business development advice, training, and business accommodation to new and just started businesses.

New Online Service to Compare Business Debt Firms

THE first website which enables businesses to compare debt collection agency services has been launched by two entrepreneurs in Cardiff. And partners behind venture Debtplough.com, Michael McElligott and Joseph Clare, are forecasting to generate a turnover of pounds 640,000 in the first year of trading based on a customer base of 100.

Hyder Reaches High with Skyscraper Contract

INFRASTRUCTURE firm Hyder Consulting has won a contract to design one of the tallest buildings in Europe. The deal for the new skyscraper in Istanbul, Turkey, was revealed as the company said it had continued to perform well since it last reported in November. The company, created by a management buyout from the former Welsh utilities firm Hyder in 2001, operates across the globe.